Bloom is an application designed to help people cultivate lasting, meaningful relationships through a three-step journey: low-pressure social interactions, one-on-one connections, and reflection.

This was a quarter-long HCI project completed by a team of five. My primary focus was Bloom's brand and visual design, including the logo, color palette, and landing page. I also contributed to the Sign Up experience.

Social platforms can make it easy to interact with others without necessarily helping people move from casual interaction toward deeper relationships.

Our team explored how people in transitional stages of life—such as recent graduates and people working remotely—experience social connection.

We used a combination of interviews and a survey to understand what people needed from a more intentional social experience.

Low stakes interaction

Casual interactions can provide a more comfortable starting point for developing meaningful connections.

Emotional safety

Shared values and life experiences can help people feel more comfortable opening up.

Authentic self-expression

Existing platforms can influence how people present themselves and interact with others.

Bloom organizes connection as a gradual process rather than expecting users to immediately form close relationships.

01 — Group interactions

Low-pressure topics and activities create an approachable starting point.

02 — One-on-one connections

Users can move toward more personal interactions as relationships develop.

03 — Reflection

Users reflect on their emotions and experiences, encouraging self-awareness and continued growth.

I focused on developing Bloom's visual identity to make the experience feel warm, welcoming, and approachable.

I worked on the logo, color palette, and overall visual direction, refining the system as we received feedback throughout the project.

Early visual explorations relied on more decorative typography and abstract imagery. Through critique and usability feedback, we moved toward clearer typography and a softer, more accessible color system.

Feedback through the design process helped us identify where the experience needed more clarity. For example, early versions of the AR Garden used abstract illustrations that made the interaction difficult to understand. We replaced them with more realistic plant imagery to make the experience more intuitive and emotionally engaging.

We also introduced contextual guidance for interactions that users found confusing, such as planting a seed and the slow-paced mode.